Single-strand DNA breaks in human hair root cells exposed to mobile phone radiation.
Cam ST, Seyhan N. · 2012
View Original AbstractJust 15 minutes of mobile phone use caused measurable DNA damage in human hair cells near the ear.
Plain English Summary
Researchers collected hair samples from eight people before and after they used a mobile phone for 15 and 30 minutes, then tested for DNA damage in the hair root cells. They found that just 15 minutes of phone use caused significant DNA breaks in cells near the ear, with even more damage after 30 minutes. This suggests that everyday mobile phone use can damage DNA in nearby tissues within minutes of exposure.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct evidence that mobile phone radiation damages human DNA at the cellular level during normal phone use. What makes this research particularly significant is that it measured DNA breaks in real human tissue after actual phone calls, not laboratory simulations. The researchers used hair root cells because they're easily accessible and located right where your phone sits against your head during calls. The finding that DNA damage increased with longer exposure time suggests a dose-response relationship, which strengthens the biological plausibility of these effects. The reality is that most people use their phones for far longer than 30 minutes per day, often holding them directly against their heads. While our bodies have repair mechanisms for DNA damage, the question becomes whether constant exposure overwhelms these natural defenses over time.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900-MHz GSM Duration: 15 and 30 min
Study Details
To analyze the short-term effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exposure on genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of human hair root cells.
Hair samples were collected from eight healthy human subjects immediately before and after using a 9...
The data showed that talking on a mobile phone for 15 or 30 min significantly increased (p < 0.05) s...
A short-term exposure (15 and 30 min) to RFR (900-MHz) from a mobile phone caused a significant increase in DNA single-strand breaks in human hair root cells located around the ear which is used for the phone calls.
Show BibTeX
@article{st_2012_singlestrand_dna_breaks_in_1784,
author = {Cam ST and Seyhan N.},
title = {Single-strand DNA breaks in human hair root cells exposed to mobile phone radiation.},
year = {2012},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22348707/},
}